Increasingly popular devices like the Roku 3 and the Amazon Fire TV offer streaming services of Internet videos, as well as many subscription based channels that can be found online. It became a necessity to own one of the said devices in order for one to fully enjoy all the benefits that they can offer to their users. There are notable differences between the devices that the user should be aware of, which might be an important factor when it comes to deciding which device to get.

Amazon Fire TV’s connectivity features:

USB Port available

Doesn’t have support for local file playback

HDMI connection only

As it can be seen above, the Fire TV doesn’t support playback of local files, which means that the user is not able to view content stored on their USB. This might be a downside for a lot of users, but there are plenty of other options to enjoy on the Fire TV. When it comes to how the device is connected to the TV, it’s important to say that the only way it can be connected is via a HDMI cable, meaning that if a TV doesn’t feature a HDMI port, it will be impossible to connect the Fire TV to it. Content wise, the Fire TV still lacks some of the less popular streaming services that offer high quality content, and they will most likely be made available in the foreseeable future. However, the question is whether the user wants to wait for them to roll out on the Fire TV. There is a lot of content available, but it mainly comes from Amazon and other giants, so it is not possible to find some things which users might want.

Roku’s connectivity features:

USB port available

Supports local file playback

HDMI connection only

It’s clear the the Roku 3 has a slight advantage over the Fire TV when it comes to content, simply by adding support for local file playback, meaning that the user can enjoy the media stored on their USB. Just like the Fire TV, the Roku 3 can’t be connected to a TV that doesn’t have a HDMI port. In terms of content, the Roku 3 supports a lot of services, and even though most of them are unknown, they offer high quality content, making it possible for everyone to find something to enjoy.

The notable difference between the devices is the sheer sound superiority of the Fire TV.

It is capable of producing a home theater sound, and if the user is looking for a device that will provide them with maximum enjoyment, then the Fire TV is definitely the device for them. It can be said for both devices that they work absolutely flawlessly. While the Fire TV is slightly more responsive, the difference is so small that it should be completely neglected. However, due to difference in amount of RAM memory available, the Fire TV (2 GB of RAM) is a far more superior device when it comes to gaming as the Roku 3 has only 512 MB of RAM available, making the device lag a lot at times, especially if a lot of things are installed on it. It might be important for some users that are interested in gaming to know that the Fire TV comes equipped with a great gaming controller that takes the gaming experience to a whole new level.